1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to spinal adjustment devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to spinal adjustment and alignment devices against which the user lies in the supine position.
2. Description of the Related Art
The lumbar region of the back of a human often assumes positions through growth or accident which result in back pain. The spinal column may become overly curved, as well as misaligned, and slipped discs are a result of such conditions. Such a condition may be exaggerated by additional injury. Also, in females, the condition of pregnancy results in increased curvature of the spine in this region, resulting in lower back pain.
Many devices have been designed for reducing curvature or misalignment of the back, including back braces worn around the users trunk. Such braces exert pressure on the internal organs since they depend on pressure on the wearer's chest and abdomen to exert support and straightening pressure on the spinal column.
Other devices require the user to lie down on the device in a supine position, the device having an upper surface formed to cure misalignment of the spine. Such devices tend to laterally align the spine, but their effectiveness in stretching the back, i.e., reducing the inner curvature of the back is either not addressed, or is limited by the weight of the individual.
It would be desirable to provide a device that both laterally realigns the vertebrae in the spine in the lumbar region and also provides stretching or traction force to the spine, reducing the curvature of the spine in this region and thus reducing back pain thereby. It would further be desirable if such a device is capable of applying stretching and alignment pressure to the spine without the necessity of straps or the like pressing the chest and internal organs to provide desired stretching and alignment pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,099, issued Oct. 28, 1980, to Richardson, describes a device for aligning the spine. The device is positioned beneath the back of a person lying supine on a support surface to align that person's spine. The device has two ridge members that form a convex curve that corresponds to the natural lumbar curve of a human spine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,414, issued Apr. 16, 1991, to Sexton, describes a spine stretcher and aligner. This device is a spine stretcher that has two members mounted on its upper side that are composed of a compressible material that permits movement of the material toward the center of the device with the weight of the user pressed downwardly along the back on the members. This device is designed to stretch the back by increasing curvature of the spine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,956, issued Jul. 6, 1993, to Dumas et al., describes a static spinal alignment device which allows the user's body weight to exert a downward force on the lumbar vertebrae to reduce lumbar lordosis while it straightens the alignment of the spine. The device of Dumas is provided in three separate parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,916, issued Jul. 7, 1998, to Kurhi, J. describes an ergonomic support member assembly contoured to a corrected spinal curvature of an individual. The device relies on body weight to realign the spine of an individual using force developed by the user's body weight.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a device to alleviate lower back pain solving the aforementioned problems is desired.